“Alright! The morning of week two has arrived! Everyone, lift your heads and… Phew, we’ve made it through the first week safely. That’s great news. As they say, starting is half the battle, so let’s continue to grow!”
The soft sunlight streamed into the Ipchun Room.
Professor Riana leaned against the podium as she conducted the morning assembly.
“I’m sure everyone saw the academic calendar announcement, and you heard about it on the first day of the first week, but… I’ll announce it again!”
Instead of casual clothes from the weekend, she was clad in a robe that resembled that of a wizard.
‘…Is that an artifact too?’
Changes had emerged as I delved into magical energy.
Previously, I couldn’t read magic with much precision. The spells that formed magic were only something I glimpsed from household products.
Now it was different. I could read the spells inscribed on household items entirely, and what once appeared to be blobs of magic now had some meaning to me.
Professor Riana’s robe was the same. I thought it was just a robe soaked with magic, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was woven with countless intricate spells.
It seemed to be a high-level artifact.
At that moment, Professor Riana’s gaze turned this way.
Her green eyes blinked, a soft smile curving her lips.
– Um…
I felt a brief resonant sound. A faint ripple of magic stirred from Professor Riana. Amid the awed manipulation of her magical energy, a delicate line of magic surged my way.
– Hello?
A voice that felt like it pierced my mind made me flinch.
Was it an auditory hallucination? Then I realized the source was the magical energy from Professor Riana.
‘Telepathy… That’s a first.’
It’s a technique occasionally used by superhumans skilled in magical manipulation. A downgrade of the telepathy skill, if I had to say.
It’s not something I could do right now, but with some affinities, I’d eventually get there.
Straightening my hunched shoulders, I nodded.
Professor Riana smiled, seemingly satisfied, and scanned the room.
“……”
Hong Yeon-hwa glanced over here with narrowed eyes. When I turned my head in confusion, she quickly dismissed it and looked away.
“As you all know, in week three, we have the dungeon exploration scheduled! Specifically, it’s planned for Monday and Tuesday of week three, over two days.”
Dungeon exploration.
An obligation that one couldn’t avoid while acting as a hero.
Shio-ram is an educational institution aimed at nurturing heroes. Thus, most of the academic schedule revolves around hero-related topics.
“The type is periodic simple extermination of a level 4 dungeon. Each team will consist of three combatants and two support members. This has been balanced based on positions and performance!”
Once upon a time, dungeons were objects of fear.
They appeared unpredictably, gnawing at territories piece by piece, ultimately causing collapses that contaminated the area and unleashed waves of monsters.
And now?
High-level dungeons remain objects of fear and vigilance. If a level 2 or 1 dungeon goes haywire, the surroundings could be obliterated in no time.
However, low-level dungeons have recently become less of a threat.
What was it? I vaguely heard that a group of armed soldiers could handle simple exterminations in a level 4 dungeon.
Of course, if it’s filled with traps, the story changes, but in straightforward cases that only spit out low-tier monsters, it’s manageable.
Back after the Great Cataclysm, there were neither the personnel to handle low-level dungeons nor a scarcity of them, making them a threat, but nowadays, they’re more akin to money-making ventures.
Could it be that dungeons have become so trivial that even fish farms are emerging? Showing off a radically extreme hero from the chaotic times would probably cause a stir.
“The team members will be announced right before the exploration. The idea is to allow for spontaneous teamwork during emergencies!”
Nodding at Professor Riana’s explanation, I recalled that temporary parties are often formed when actively participating on the front lines.
“Now! That’s the end of the explanation! Everyone, prepare well, and let’s have a great week!”
With that, the assembly time ended, and common lectures commenced.
.
.
.
Perhaps due to next week’s dungeon exploration schedule, the morning common lessons were packed with theories related to dungeons.
There were familiar settings commonly seen in the original work, as well as settings that either didn’t exist or were completely different.
I’ve been thinking for a while that knowledge from the original work doesn’t prove particularly useful in this area.
Even the matching settings seemed to be merely surface-level knowledge, and the in-depth content was absent from the original work altogether.
Of course, there was some content related to the world’s secrets.
For example, there were stories concerning Baek Ahrin’s “mask”…
But that was forbidden knowledge that would lead to doom if uttered, whether in the original work or here.
I experienced that firsthand in chapter 11.
At that time, being a character with an absurd growth curve in the later chapters, I could escape after taking down Baek Ahrin, but now, I could only see a result where I’d be annihilated.
Anyway, dungeons were tied to obtaining the necklace of confession soon and finding a way to break one curse, so I diligently absorbed the dungeon-related theories.
Meanwhile, I was also working hard physically. Professor Atra’s training methods remained tough.
It felt like she intended to let us try every weapon that exists; on Monday, she handed us a long battle axe, and on Tuesday, she gave us metal gauntlets for some hand-to-hand combat.
It seemed like Professor Atra was honing in on the Jack of All Trades aspect. I figured it might align with her unique abilities related to combat.
Thanks to that, my proficiency in being a Jack of All Trades was sharply increasing. Nowadays, with me fiddling around with various things, the growth was beyond expectations.
Thus, Wednesday arrived.
Oddly enough, today included a swordsmanship class. For two days, we were solely focused on dungeon-related theories.
“The sword has been a cherished weapon through all ages. In ancient history before the Great Cataclysm, the sword was humanity’s primary weapon for thousands of years and was used even in the era when gunpowder, not magic, was employed.”
We entered the futuristic training facility, painted in blue and light gray, rather than the old training ground that Professor Atra and I usually frequented.
There were about 80 students in the Ipchun Class. Despite that number filling the indoor space, it still felt spacious.
After lining up the cadets, the professor responsible for practical swordsmanship was solemnly introducing the history of the sword.
He was a middle-aged man with a rigid face reminiscent of stone. His well-groomed beard and slicked-back hair were striking.
Although he looked like a rather brusque person, just sensing his aura let me know he was a formidable individual.
“Basic Practical Swordsmanship involves demonstrating real combat techniques from ancient times to the present while understanding their strengths and weaknesses.”
Basic Practical Swordsmanship; it was a familiar lecture.
Due to its generous practical time-to-skill ratio, it was a mandatory subject in the arcs where swords were involved.
Thanks to that, I knew a bit about the professor’s background.
According to the main storyline, he ranked 1,120th in the individual combat sector, a hero named Nam Kyung-Jun.
He was a former member of the “Backlight” division which dealt with villain neutralization in the association.
He sustained serious injuries to one arm while hunting villains and retired, and now he serves as a professor at Shio-ram.
That was all I remembered. The reason I recalled any of this is that he was a professor of a subject that yielded a delightful swordsmanship skill, and he was a fairly dazzling character without a backstory.
“First, I will demonstrate the basics of sword forms. Afterward, each cadet will analyze the sword techniques and try them out physically. During this process, dueling among cadets is also allowed.”
The professor drew the sword from his waist. The sharp blade reflected the light, casting a chilling shine.
“We will analyze the swordplay of the Da-Sam Sword Art, a basic style consisting of three stances and six sword forms.”
Once the words were finished, the professor assumed his stance. Then, the sword painted the air.
He executed the six sword forms sequentially based on the three starting stances.
Being a skilled practitioner, the basic swordplay radiated a sharp aura.
Even with a one-arm injury, how was he able to move like that?
The consecutive sword forms were clear and easy to absorb.
I focused intently, scrolling through each motion. Every single one of them would pile up as experience in sword mastery.
“Yawn…”
Hong Yeon-hwa, standing nearby with her arms crossed, let out a small yawn. She’d looked bored for a while, and now it seemed sleepiness was creeping in.
Thinking for a moment, I rummaged through my pocket. I took out something I had prepared earlier and extended it towards Hong Yeon-hwa.
“Hmm?”
She blinked as she pat her palm against her mouth. Her gaze then landed on the offering in my hand.
“Um…”
Her eyes shook as if panicking.
What I offered was candy. Of course, it wasn’t the luxurious candy that Hong Yeon-hwa had been giving me lately, but it was candy that had the effect of waking someone up.
The flavor was supposed to be lemon… or so they say. I wouldn’t know. It’s quite popular, sells well, and reviews claim it tastes good; it can’t possibly be bad.
“Are you giving this to me…?”
I wished I could project a hologram, but it was impossible while extending one hand.
Instead, I nodded, and Hong Yeon-hwa’s lips quivered. She received the candy with her trembling hand.
“…Thank you.”
She then gently stroked the candy she held, her voice spilling over with gratitude.
…Her reaction felt a bit over the top. That piece of candy costs less than 2,000 won, while what I received from her was priced in tens of thousands.
They say the important part of a gift is the heart, but still, the price difference felt significant, leaving me feeling awkward.
The professor’s demonstration concluded. After receiving the swordsmanship text on my smartwatch, we had time to practice the techniques ourselves.
While Hong Yeon-hwa vanished due to a friend’s call, I began to read the text of the Da-Sam Sword Law.
‘Complicated.’
Although it seemed intuitive enough for the professor’s demonstration, the amount described in the text was staggering.
This stance was created for this reason, how the swordsmanship forms connect, how to execute and counter such forms, etc…
It was written in intricate detail, making it look incredibly hard to comprehend fully, but once understood, it would prove immensely beneficial.
So I briefly skimmed through the text for a moment.
– Tap tap
I heard footsteps. That wasn’t surprising. Considering how many people roam this training hall, it was only natural to hear them.
The reason I felt the sound so close was that the footsteps were approaching directly toward me.
In my spatial awareness, a male cadet was marching toward me.
“?”
I didn’t know him. While not hulking, he had a robust build. Given the muscles on his body, I could guess he was a combat major.
[Do you have some business with me?]
When I tapped my smartwatch to ask, the male cadet’s eyebrows twitched. His gaze flickered between the hologram, my eyes, and then my mouth.
He seemed to hesitate for a moment but then opened his mouth with a determined look.
“I would like to request a duel with Lee Ha-yul.”
“……?”
I froze for a moment. He requested a duel. That person… directed to me?
Is he someone I know? I couldn’t remember him if I tried. We’re merely classmates, and in fact, I don’t think we’ve even greeted each other before.
A bunch of question marks floated above my head.
At that moment, a female cadet gasped and hurriedly approached. Whack! Her palm struck the male cadet’s back with a resounding smack.
It was a forceful sound that even made me flinch involuntarily.
“Yikes!”
“Hey! What the hell?! Why the sudden outburst? Oh, I’m sorry! This friend is an unfortunate child lacking sense, so…”
“Wait a minute…”
The ruckus caused by the back-and-forth between the guy and the girl drew attention.
Even Hong Yeon-hwa, who was chatting with a friend, turned her gaze toward this commotion. She frowned and took quick steps over.
The girl, who had been tugging at the boy’s hair, noticed Hong Yeon-hwa closing in and let out a high-pitched scream.
“Damn it… hey, stop messing around─”
[I accept.]
“─Huh? Just like that?”
The girl, terrified, exhibited a disoriented expression.
Hong Yeon-hwa, who had approached within a few steps, tilted her head.
Realizing that my message was brief, I tapped my smartwatch again.
[I accept the duel.]
Surrounding us plunged into silence.
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